skip to main |
skip to sidebar
God has given us this magnificent and unique Rideau Canal area and then failed to give us words or cameras capable of adequately portraying it's stunning beauty. It must be seen to be appreciated!
We have been moving along slowly, about ten miles and 4 up locks a day since leaving Kingston trying to soak up the beauty. The canal is quite shallow (6') in many areas and very narrow and twisted in others. The locks are groomed like a golf course and the lock masters and workers are more than courteous and helpful. Cruising along is like a slow motion ballet with new vistas of high rock cliffs and tree lined banks close at hand everywhere. Quaint "cottages" and villages dot the shore for color and the entire area seems to have been cleaned and tended.
We are in Westport Ontario about sixty miles west of Ottowa and plan about a week getting there. Then down the Ottowa and St Lawrence rivers to Sorel and the Richelieu Canals into Lake Champlain.
We should be back in the US around the the end of August and then move fairly quickly onto the
Chesapeake.
Joan has gone shutter happy with numerous pictures at our picasaweb.google.com/lropka site portraying what we are seeing and doing. No camera can do it justice.
Will post again when we can find the next wifi locale.
Admiral's note: We are just plain having a fine time ;-
Kingston, Ontario on the bow!
A lot of water and good times since our last blog.
The last few miles of the Erie and the Oswego Canals were a delight and the 60 mile crossing of
Lake Ontario could not have been better. After 29 locks and moving most days our aging bones were a bit weary so we holed up in Clayton, NY for three days to recharge and get some welcome rest. Clayton is a neat little town with a magnificent maritime museum dedicated to classic boats primarily wooden.
We went to a nice little Baptist Church Sunday which recharged our spiritual batteries as well.
Monday we took a three hour tour of the Thousand Islands on a small but fast pontoon boat and got to see (with narration) what would have taken us several days and many gallons of $5+ diesel for $12 each. The TI lived up to and exceeded their reputation and it was very special and rewarding to see how grand "Old Money" lived. It really makes the nouveau crowd look tacky.
Tuesday on to Kingston, an absolutely charming small city reminiscent of Victoria B.C. set with many ancient buildings downtown and flowers everwhere it has a true old world charm and populated with ever friendly Canadians, a marked difference in atmosphere from nearby states that will remain unnamed.
Tonight We are going to a tattoo at Fort Henry and then tomorrow up the Rideau Canal 125 miles and 44 locks to Ottawa. We will have spotty internet only at wifi hot spots for the next few weeks so reporting and pictures may be thin.
As usual the latest batch of pics is at Picasaweb.google.com/lriopka with the details of our adventure.
Downtown Little Falls NY, a charming hilly town along the Erie canal
Acute cruiser syndrome has taken over and we have rarely moved more than 15 miles a day as we poke along the Erie Canal, a150 mile mosaic of heartbreak (industrial towns in decay) and heaven (small villages spruced up and carrying on proudly). The trek has been made all the more interesting by our encounter each evening with other cruisers and the sharing of cruising and life's experiences. As our friend Wayne Flatt says, " dueling with nature strips away the false veneer most of us display" (an unworthy paraphrase on my part). Most of the cruisers we have met are dynamic, highly interesting and within minutes seem like old friends. The anticipation of our next stop includes wondering who we will meet.
The highlights this week were Little Falls with a very neat and welcoming little park/marina, and Joan's three day visit in Utica with her good friend from the 1970's at AAA.
Once again too many pictures tell the story better than words at picasaweb.google.com/lropka.
